Vibrating centrifuges



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4 Sheets-Sheet 5 www m vmwoi GoF-F'Qw www @mm woon Jan. 6, 197@ G. L. GRIMWOQD Elgl VIBRATING CENTRIFUGES Filed April 50. 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v :Mvwwo: @EQPFQEV LUTHERGMIMWQQD UnitedStates Patent O US. Cl. 210-370 10 'Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vibrating centrifuge in which divergent centrifuge baskets are vibrated torsionally whilst rotating and are interconnected through means capable of transmitting torsional vibration from one basket to the other.

The centrifuge baskets may diverge away from one another or towards one another or they may diverge in the same direction.

The present invention relates to vibrating centrifuges of the type which incorporate a divergent cetnrifuge basket to which mixtures of solids and liquids are continuously fed and from which the discharge of the centrifuged constituents is continuous.

According to the present invention a vibrating centrifuge comprises two rotatably mounted divergent centrifuge baskets which are interconnected through means capable of transmitting torsional vibration from one basket to the other, driving means for rotating said baskets and means for applying a vibratory torque to said baskets so that the vibratory torque is transmitted to one of the baskets through said torsional vibration transmitting means.

According to another aspect of the invention a vibrating contrifuge comprises two divergent centrifuge baskets, driving means for rotating said baskets, means for applying a vibratory torque to one of the baskets and means interconnecting said baskets for transmitting vibratory torque from one to the other.

The present invention thus provides a vibrating centrifuge in which two baskets are able to vibrate torsionally in opposition to one another and in which axial vibration is unnecessary.

The divergent centrifuge baskets may be arranged so as to diverge away from one another or towards one another or they may diverge in the same direction. When the baskets are arranged to diverge towards one another or in the same direction and are coaxially mounted one may be smaller than the other and at least part of its axial length may be received within the other.

The torsional vibration transmitting means may be a shaft, either solid or hollow, or it may comprise compression springs or a set of circumferentially spaced arms or leaf springs capable of transmitting torsional vibration and through which the baskets are rotationally interconnected.

The invention is further described by Way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a centrifuge in which the baskets diverge away from one another;

FIG. 2 illustrates a centrifuge in which the baskets diverge towards one another;

FIG. 3 illustrates a centrifuge in which the baskets diverge in the same direction;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the torsional vibration transmitting means of FIG. 3, taken on the line X-X of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the torsional vibration transmitting means of FIG. 3;

3,488,691 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 FIG. 6 illustrates a modification of FIG. 3 using an alternative form of vibratory torque transmitting means;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken along the line Y-Y of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 6 illustrating a further modification of F-IG. 3 using yet another form of vibrating torque transmitting means, and

FIG. 9 is a vertical section taken along the line Z-Z of FIG. 8.

In the centrifuge of FIG. 1 a shaft 10 is capable of transmitting torsional vibration and is mounted in bearings 11, 12. Centrifuge baskets 13, 14 are secured at opposite ends of the shaft 10 and are fed with slurry by feed pipes 15, 16. An electric motor 17 drives the baskets by applying a smooth torque through a belt 18 which engages a pulley mounted on the shaft 10 between the bearings 11, 12. A vibratory torque is applied to the shaft 10 by an exciter rotor 20 fixed to shaft 10` near its righthand end beyond bearing 12 and by an exciter stator 21 which encircles the rotor 20'.

In the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 2, a fixed spindle 25 has a hollow extension 26 at its lefthand end and the composite spindle 25, 26 is mounted in bearings in pedestals 27, 28. A sleeve 29 is mounted on bearings 30 near the righthand end of spindle 25. A smooth driving torque is applied to sleeve 29 by an electric motor 17 and a vibratory torque is applied to sleeve 29 by exciter rotor 20 and stator 21. At its lefthand end the sleeve 29 has a Harige 31 to which is secured a larger centrifuge basket 32 which diverges towards the left. A smaller centrifuge basket 33 which diverges towards the right is mounted on the hollow extension 26 of spindle 25 through a hollow conical hub 34 to which it is secured. Hub 34 is provided with a ilange 35.

The torsional vibration transmitting means comprises a hollow shaft 36 having a flange at each end by means of which it is connected to the base of basket 32 and to flange 35 of hub 34 of basket 33. Vibratory torque applied by exciter rotor 20 and stator 21. to basket 32 is transmitted to basket 33 by the torsional vibration transmitting shaft 36.

Slurry is fed to basket 33 from the lefthand end of the hollow extension 26 of spindle 25, through openings 37 at the righthand end of hollow extension 26 into hub 34 and through openings 38 in hub 34 to basket 33. Washing liquid is supplied to basket 32 through a. pipe 39.

An outer casing 40 having a liquor discharge 41 surrounds the larger basket 32 and an inner casing 42 having a liquor outlet 43 surrounds the smaller basket 33. Liquid is thus centrifuged from smaller basket 33 into casing 42 and is discharged through outlet 43. Liquid and solid discharged from the righthand end of basket 33 is received into the larger basket 32 and liquid centrifuged from basket 32 into casing 40 is discharged through outlet 41. Solids discharged from the larger basket 32 at its lefthand end pass through an outlet 45 from a compartment of casing 40 bounded by a partition 46.

In the arrangement of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the torsional vibration transmitting means comprises a set of circumferentially spaced axially extending arms` 50 formed integral with a larger flange 51 at one end and a small flange 52 at the other end. The torsional vibration transmitting means of FIGS. 3 to 5 is of generally conical form in that the flexible members 50 are radially outwardly inclined from flange 52 to flange 51 but in alternative forms of construction the flanges 51, 52 could be of the same diameter and the arms parallel to one another.

Referring to FIG. 3, a shaft 55 is mounted in bearings in pedestals 56, 57. A smooth driving torque is applied to the shaft 55 by electric motor 17 and a vibratory torque is applied to the shaft 55 by an exciter rotor 20 and exciter stator 21. Shaft 55 has a flange 58 at its righthand end to which is secured the flange 52 of the torsional vibration transmitting means 50, 51, 52. A larger centrifuge basket 60 divergent to the right is secured to flange 51. A smaller centrifuge basket 61 is secured to flange 58 of shaft 55. Slurry is fed to basket 61 by means of a pipe 62 and wash water is fed to basket 60 by means of a pipe 63.

The baskets are enclosed by a casing 65 having internal partions 66, 67, liquor outlets 68, 69 and an outlet 70 for solids. The movement of the liquid and solid of the slurry is illustrated by the arrows shown in FIG. 3.

Two modifications of the arrangement of FIGS. 3 to 5 are illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 and in FIGS. 8 and 9 respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the basic construction of the apparatus is as shown and described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 but the manner in which the outer and inner baskets 60 and 61 are interconnnected is different. The flexible members 50 of FIG. 3 are replaced by radially-extending leaf springs 72 capable of flexing in the circumferential direction of the baskets. These constitute the vibratory torque transmitting means interconnecting the baskets.

In the alternative arrangement of FIGS. 8 and 9, flange 58 is provided with spaced pairs of radially-extending ears 76, and between each pair of ears 76 a plate 74, forming part of the outer basket 60, is located. Cornpression coil springs 78 (see FIG. 9) are located between ears 76 and plates 74 to transmit torsional vibratory movement between the two baskets and to constitute the vibratory torque transmitting means.

Although the vibratory torque is shown in the illustrated embodiments as being applied to the shaft electrically, it can alternatively be applied by any suitable means, e.g. electrical, mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic.

The vibratory torque may be positive tending to drive the shaft, or negative tending to decelerate the shaft or it may be alternately positive and negative.

For applying a vibratory torque to the shaft electrically a rotor comprising an unwound laminated assembly with salient poles may be secured to the shaft and arranged within a wound stator adapted to produce a magnetic field providing one or more localities of maximum ntensity so as to apply alternating positive and negative torque to the poles of the rotor as they pass therethrough. The stator may be wound to provide one or more localities of maximum magnetic intensity which may be stationary, as when generated by direct current, or rotating, as when generated by alternating current.

Fluid means for applying vibratory torque to the shaft may comprise a stationary casing, at least one vane extending inwardly from the periphery of said casing, a rotor within the casing and fixed relatively to the torsional vibration transmitting means, and at least one vane extending outwardly from the rotor so that on relative rotation of the rotor and easing said vanes clear one another by only a small margin.

Vibratory torque may be set up mechanically by an arrangement for repeatedly varying the inertia of the rotating system as, for example, by means of rotating out of balance weights mounted on said torsional vibration transmitting means.

Although in the illustrated embodiments the centrifuge baskets have all been shown as rotating about horizontal axes, it will be appreciated that vertical or inclined units al'e within the scope of the present invention,

I claim:

1. A vibrating centrifuge comprising two rotatably mounted divergent centrifuge baskets, means interconnecting said baskets and capable of transmitting torsional Vibration from one basket to the other, driving means for rotating said baskets and means for applying a vibratory torque to said baskets so that the vibratory torque is transmitted to one of the baskets through said torsional vibration transmitting means.

2. A centrifuge according to claim 1 in `which the baskets diverge away from one another.

3. A centrifuge according to claim 2 comprising a rotary shaft capable of transmitting torsional vibration, said centrifuge baskets secured to the shaft in axially spaced relationship, said driving means applying substantially smooth torque to the shaft between said centrifuge baskets and said vibratory torque means applying vibratory torque to the shaft at a locality nearer to one basket than to the other.

4. A centrifuge according to claim 1 in which the baskets are coaxial and diverge towards one another and at least part of the axial length of one basket is received within the other.

5. A centrifuge according to claim 4 comprising divergent centrifuge baskets connected by a rotary shaft coaxial therewith and capable of transmitting torsional vibration from one to the other, said driving means transmitting a substantially smooth torque to one basket and said vibratory torque means applying a vibratory torque to one basket.

6. A centrifuge according to claim 1 in which the baskets are coaxial and diverge in the same direction and at least part of the axial length of one is received within the other.

7. A centrifuge according to claim 6 in which said baskets are interconnected through a set of circumferentially spaced axially extending arms capable of transmitting torsional vibration.

8. A centrifuge according to claim 6 in which the baskets are interconnected through a set of radially extending leaf springs capable of flexing in the circumferential direction of the baskets.

9. A centrifuge according to claim 6 in which the baskets are rotationally interconnected through compression springs.

10. A centrifuge according to claim `6 comprising a shaft having a flange at one end, a basket of larger diameter diverging away from the shaft and connected to said flange through circumferentially spaced members capable of transmitting torsional vibration, a basket of smaller diameter secured to said flange, said driving means rotating said shaft and said vibratory torque means applying torsional vibration to said shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1958 Linke et al 210-377 X 8/1959 Irving 210-377 JAMES L. DECESARE, Primary Examiner Us. C1. XR. 

